President protecting corrupt LG heads – JVP

Wattala PS Chairman denies he used strong-arm tactics to have budget passed

January 13, 2014, 9:51 pm

By Dasun Edirisinghe

Gampaha District leader for Western Provincial Council election Mahinda Jayasinghe addressing the media after handing over a petition to the Human Rights Commission.(Pic courtesy: JVP media)

The JVP yesterday accused President Mahinda Rajapaksa of protecting corrupt heads of local government authorities by treating them at Temple Trees recently.

Addressing the media after handing over a petition to the Human Rights Commission against preventing its Wattala Pradeshiya Sabha member from attending the second reading of the budget, JVP Gampaha District leader for Western Provincial Council election Mahinda Jayasinghe said those ousted due to defeat of their budgets in nearly 20 Pradeshiya Sabhas countrywide had been received by the President at Temple Trees.

"Budgets presented by those heads were defeated due to their corrupt practices," Jayasinghe said, adding that in so doing the President had protected the corrupt.

Jayasinghe said that the budget of the UPFA run Wattala Pradeshiya Sabha had been defeated the (11 - 08) on December 04.

With the help bouncers the Chairman had prevented the JVP member Jude Christopher and three UPFA members including Deputy Chairman from entering the PS for the second reading on December 17, he said. "According to the Section 14.1 of the Constitution, they violated fundamental rights of Sabha members," Jayasinghe said, claiming that they had lodged a complaint yesterday demanding the annulment of the second reading of the Wattala Pradeshiya Sabha budget.

Deputy Chairman of the Wattala Pradeshiya Sabha, Sanjeewa Serasinghe, and UPFA members Anthony Sunil and Stanley Nobert also included their affidavits to the JVP’s petition, Jayasinghe added.

Meanwhile, Wattala PS Chairman Thyagiratne Alwis, contacted for comment, said he had not used any thugs to secure the passage of the PS budget. "The JVP member and three of our councillors were protesting outside while the council was meeting. Even the police urged them to take part in the council meeting which began at 10.00 am, but they continued their protest. So, the vote was taken without them."